Trump Fires Iranian Warning Shot. It Backfires

Iran’s president Rouhani stands up to Trump’s “bully” tactics. “Only speak with the language of respect . This nation will give a determined response to threats”

- Ladane Nasseri, Golnar Motevalli and Hashem Kalantari, with Nick Wadhams and Saleha Mohsin

Iran isn’t seeking tensions but will stand up to any “bullying,” President Hassan Rouhani said as his nation marked the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution amid a souring of ties with the Trump administration.

“We will stand up to those who have their eyes on Iran,” Rouhani said in Tehran, days after the US responded to an Iranian ballistic missile test with new sanctions. Iran “won’t give in to bullying and threats,” he said.

Relations between Iran and the US— which improved under Barack Obama and enabled the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers— have deteriorated under President Donald Trump, who has warned that Iran is “playing with fire” and that “nothing is off the table” when his administration considers its approach to the country.

During his approximately 45-minute address at the anniversary gathering earlier this month, Rouhani didn’t refer to Trump by name.

“Some newcomers have come to power in the US and in the region,” Rouhani said. “They all should know they must only speak with the language of respect to Iran. This nation will give a determined response to threats.”

Iranian officials have said they won’t be intimidated by the Trump administration, which put Iran “on notice” following its missile test and sanctioned a list of entities it said were linked to its missile programme. The US is also weighing whether to list Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation, a decision that would have economic, political and geopolitical implications because of the enormous might it wields.